Folk singer-songwriter Melanie Safka, who first took the stage at Woodstock in 1969 and in Dallas in 2015, passed away on Jan. 23. She was 76.
Melanie played in Dallas at Uncle Calvin’s Coffeehouse’s 33rd anniversary on Friday, November 20, 2015. She attracted a sold-out crowd and delivered a memorable performance.
According to the Dallas Morning News, her iconic Woodstock performance at just 22 launched her career, with audience members lighting candles during her rainy set, marking a historic concert moment.
It was “the first panorama of candles and cigarette lighters ever raised at a concert event” her website says.
Following that event, she released “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)” in 1970, inspired by the Woodstock crowd.
Melanie continued her musical journey, performing at hailed venues like Carnegie Hall, Metropolitan Opera House, and Royal Albert Hall, and collaborating with artists like Ray Charles, Cher, Miley Cyrus and other household names.
Photo courtesy of Uncle Calvin’s Coffeehouse.
Often dubbed the “female Bob Dylan” since her Woodstock debut, Melanie’s folk songs and stories were celebrated during An Evening with Melanie in Dallas at Uncle Calvin’s, accompanied by her son Beau-Jarred. Opening acts included Brian Potts and violinist Leoncarlo.
“The show is a musical journey from that momentous day in the summer of 1969 to the present,” the coffeehouse said at the time.
Uncle Calvin’s Coffeehouse, Texas’ longest-running folk music venue, has been hosting acclaimed acoustic performances since 1982, including Melanie’s unforgettable show in 2015.
